George Vashon Museum

2223 St. Louis Avenue
St. Louis 63106
314-749-6322

Admission is $10.00

http://www.georgevashonmuseum.org/    

Founded in 2015

This museum is housed in an 1879 three-story mansion on "Millionaires Row" in St. Louis Place Neighborhood. Before the building was a museum it also was a funeral home and a church. 

This museum's founder, director, and curator is Calvin Riley, a retired educator. He has accumulated more than 4000 artifacts covering 250 years of regional African American History. A mission statement posted in the front hall spells out Riley’s goal: to preserve the history and achievements of St. Louis African-Americans and to recognize those who fought for civil rights and to change unjust laws. It also refers to the collection as the “The Spider Web,’’ because it has no ending and continues to grow.

Mr. Riley does not allow photographs to be taken inside the museum except for one room. This photograph from the front lobby gives you an idea of how many historical items are covering the walls of this old mansion. 

Among the many, many items in this collection are:

• wooden chairs handmade by a slave
• mannequins dressed in uniforms worn by Pullman porters and by nurses at Homer G. Phillips Hospital 
• memorabilia from black social clubs of the 1950's
• civil rights posters of the 1960's
• original documents from the Dred Scott case
• heirlooms owned by the family of pioneering attorney George Vashon
• the reassembled laboratory of Dr. Lincoln Diuguid, African-American scientist
• a sign that designated a "Colored Waiting Room" and came from St. Louis Union Station
• photographs and documents of prominent African-American families from the early 1900's. 

The one room where a visitor is allowed to take a picture is 

the old funeral home chapel. The photograph gives you an accurate picture of how many items are crowded into this collection.  

Comments:  The only way to view this museum is by a guided tour by Mr. Riley. The tour lasts about one hour unless the group asks a lot of questions! 

Obviously this museum is packed full of artifacts.  That makes it difficult to see all the items as you walk through. If one were allowed to wander about I could see spending a few hours in there noticing each item. It is very impressive what this one man has collected.  

There were a number of very interesting items in this museum. 

This black history museum is less than two blocks from the Griot Museum of Black History, thus we visited them on the same day with lunch at Crown Candy Kitchen in between the two museums visits. 

The Griot Museum of Black History

2505 St. Louis Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63106
314-241-7057

Admission is $7.50 (adults) and $3.75 (children); street parking is free.

https://www.thegriotmuseum.com/

Founded in 1997. 

The Griot Museum is housed in  the building that once housed the school of the Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

This St. Louis museum opened in 1997 as the Black World History Wax Museum. It was one of only two museums in the country to use life-size wax figures to interpret the contributions of African-Americans with local or regional connections.

The lifelike wax characters are still there, but in 2009, the organization changed the name to The Griot (pronounced Gree-Oh) because it better captured the mission and purpose of the museum.

That mission is: "Through compelling core exhibits, dynamic touring shows, educational and entertaining public programs, we create a community of lifelong learners who explore, experience and embrace the region's rich and enduring African-American heritage."

Photographs are only allowed to be taken in the lobby.  From the front door one can see all the rooms holding exhibits. To the left is a gift shop.  

Among the many exhibits are:

-a full-scale recreation of a section of a slave transport ship

-a powerful video about the experience aboard a slave ship

-a list of names and addresses of area slave traders in 1841

-examples of chains and shackles

-many period artifacts

-an actual slave cabin that was one of 16 slave cabins on the Wright Smith Tobacco Plantation in Montgomery County

- figures of famous and important people of St. Louis black history in the areas of music, advocacy, agriculture, and service to the community including Josephine Baker, Dred and Harriet Scott, George Washington Carver, Miles Davis, Senator J.B. Banks, and York. 

When we were there the lower level had a special multimedia exhibit titled Black Women Speak. They offer several special exhibits each year. 

And here we are in the lobby with a wax figure.  

For lunch we stayed in the area and went .7 mile to Crown Candy Kitchen, one of St. Louis's most well-known eateries. This restaurant has been open since 1913. 

Their Heart-Stopping BLT has been designated an "Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America" and we certainly ordered and enjoyed it!

They also have great chili!

Many people flock there for their ice cream. 

And of course, the candies which were their original offerings and are still popular today. 

Comments: This was an interesting museum about a subject which many of us do not know enough.  It is one of three museums in St. Louis dedicated to black history/culture/art. 

The museum is well-organized with a lot to see, read, and absorb.  One could spend up to two hours enjoying it all and learning much from it. It is a popular school field trip destination. 

Reservations are required.  Check for Groupons.  

Of course, lunch at Crown Candy Kitchen was wonderful.  It has a very casual atmosphere and excellent food. Plus you can't live in St. Louis and not go there at least once!  

The Old Cathedral Museum

209 Walnut Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
314-231-3250

Admission: $1.00; free parking

https://www.oldcathedralstl.org/visit.html

Founded in ?; renovated in 2016

The Old Cathedral Museum is in the Old Cathedral! 

Upon approaching the building there are several signs that share the history of this church. 

This shows the size of the archdiocese soon after its establishment.  

More posted history including how it was designated a basilica. 

The entrance to the museum is on the left (west) side of the cathedral building. 

This is the largest gallery on the main level. 

This is the main gallery on the lower level. 

There are also displays in the hallways. 

On the lower level one can see the stone foundation of this 1834 building. 

The museum has many artifacts from the history of the cathedral including this Baptismal Font lid from about 1830 that was discovered in 2014 during restoration. The font is carved wood with a plaster St. John the Baptist. 

This Roman Missal was used until 1861. 

The Monstrance on the left is the original monstrance to the cathedral and was used for over a century.  The framed Zucchetto was worn by John Cardinal Glennon. 

This Monstrance is sitting on a tabor/pedestal from about 1890. 

This Zuchetto was worn by Pope Pius XII.

This steeple cross shows more of the history of the cathedral in the 1800's. 

This Baptismal Font is from about the 1840's. 

There is a wall display about Bishop Louis V. DuBourg who served the archdiocese 1815-1826. 

Bishop DeBourg's Pontifical, printed in 1727

These relics were brought from Europe to St. Louis by Bishop Dubourg in the 1800's. 

Prie Dieu, for kneeling to pray, from mid-1800's

Reliquary Box, one of four once used on main altar.

Carved Wooden Cross from about 1830 - Spanish influence

This Spanish Crucifix, reputed to be about 800 years old, was not used in the Cathedral but was donated to the museum a number of years ago. 

This Bronze Gong was used at the start of mass to present whoever was officiating. 

There are several display cases containing artifacts that were found when the church was renovated in 2014. 

These wooden water pipes were dug up during a 1960's renovation. 

This Carved Wood Grill Work from Choir Left was found and restored before displaying. 

The museum has two beautiful creches on display.  This one on the main floor is mid-19th century from Naples, Italy. The figures are constructed of wood and are wearing 16th century clothing. 

On the lower level is a very large creche acquired in 1866 at the end of the Civil War. It has an interesting history. 

Notice how the two large animals are represented by only heads that are attached to the wall. 

Bishop Joseph Rosati is buried below the cathedral behind this museum wall. 

This is a sick call box that was used by a Priest when calling on someone sick. 

Another sick call box - this one dated 1887. 

Assorted coins and medals. 

A Cigar Humidor from 1941, given to Cardinal Glennon.

This loaf of  bread was carried in the Offertory Procession for the mass of Cardinal Glennon when he was ordained a Bishop on June 26, 1896.  The papers on the Bread are painted with the coat of arms of the bishops. 

The Coat-of-Arms of Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick.  His motto was "Do not disturb the Lion."

Sheet Music Song Book from Kenrick High School

A plaque recognizing Christian Brothers School 

One of many paintings in the museum - St. Louis II, King of France by Matt Hastings.  Painted in late 1800's. 

One wall of the museum is devoted to religious women.

A display about St. Louis during the period the church came to be. 

A display of the parishes in Downtown St. Louis

Another wall display - Stations of the Cross

There are a number of pictures displayed that show the history of the cathedral and its different buildings.

And, of course, there is a gift shop!

After visiting the museum we did a self-guided tour of the cathedral itself. 

The pipe organ in the back!

Madonna and Child with John the Baptist is one of many paintings adorning the walls.  The original oil painting was attributed to Andrea Sabbatini (1487-1530) and this reproduction was painted by Charles Perry Davis (1858-1935) who was living in St. Louis at the time.  This was the first reproduction of a Sabbatini painting done in the United States. It was given by the artist to the cathedral over 100 years ago. 

Needless to say, many items in the cathedral are very ornate. 

The cathedral is the home to many statues. 

One of several ornate marble altars.

A Baptismal Font. 

We asked several people about this doll displayed on the back wall in a glass case but no one was able to tell us anything about it. 

The Old Cathedral sits on the Mississippi River waterfront right  next to the St. Louis Arch. 

Comments:  This museum has been on my museum list for over 4 years but was initially listed as closed for renovation.  The Cathedral website was not real clear for a long time as to whether it had re-opened.  Then I saw it had been opened on Fridays but closed in September 2019 temporarily.  So alas I called in October to learn that they were looking for someone to run the museum but in the meantime they would give us a private scheduled tour. By the time we went in February there was on board part-time a young man who met us and gave us a talk and a private museum tour.  We were his first group and his love of history was very obvious. But it was also apparent that the Cathedral still had not worked out what his role exactly will be ongoing.  Unless the website states that they are definitely open, I recommend calling to see if you can schedule a tour.  

The museum had many interesting items and it was nice to see that it was relatively recently renovated.  I did feel that it was a little unorganized which made this blog a challenge! It was nice that all items had information posted but several did not include any dates which left us with questions the new guide was unable to answer.  Hopefully there will be a full-time curator/director in the near future. 

Overall we were very glad we went to the museum and learned more about our city's early history.  We were there about one hour.

After touring the museum we spent some time in the cathedral itself.  Again we had some questions that went unanswered. It is gorgeous and many of us had been there previously before for a wedding, as it is a very popular venue for Catholic weddings. The Old Cathedral website has information about when one can visit the building. They still hold services there. There were a few other tourists enjoying the beauty of the space when we we visited. 

There is a parking lot with free parking just south of the building with signs explaining that the lot is just for those going to the cathedral.